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Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

Program Information

Marcia Hern, EdD, RN, CNS, Dean

The School of Nursing offers the following degree programs:

Nursing - Ph.D. Nursing - M.S.N.

Vision The University of Louisville School of Nursing affirms and builds upon our strengths and accomplishments as we move forward to meet the challenges of excellence. We will be recognized as a nursing program of national stature for the integration of teaching, research, practice and service. Our purpose is to enrich lives through the improvement of health care. We will be guided by the mission of our metropolitan university in serving the diverse needs of students, clients and community.

Mission The University of Louisville School of Nursing is an essential partner of a research intensive academic health science center in a nationally recognized University serving a metropolitan community.

The School of Nursing is a community in which faculty, staff and students collaborate to promote excellence in the profession of nursing. This is accomplished through research and scholarship that inform undergraduate and graduate education, support evidence-based practice and foster advances in nursing science. Students are prepared to demonstrate excellence in nursing science, practice and leadership in a variety of settings for the benefit of clients across the lifespan, and to meet the evolving health care needs of society. As a citizen of the larger community, the emphasis of the School of Nursing is to address the complex health needs of diverse and dynamic populations through nursing education, research, scholarship and service.

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing is designed to prepare nurse scientists who will assume a variety of roles in education, research, leadership and health policy. The goal of the program is to prepare nurse scientists to: a) generate knowledge, test interventions and evaluate outcomes to reduce risks of illness/disability and promote quality of life, b) collaborate with other disciplines to improve the delivery of health care, c) assume research, leadership, executive, public policy and/or teaching roles, and d) affect health policy through the application of scientific knowledge.

Two progression tracks are offered: (1) BSN to PhD and (2) MSN to PhD. The BSN to PhD track is an innovative approach to recruit students into graduate study at an early point in their nursing career. These students will complete the first year of coursework at the master's level and then continue on to the doctoral-level work without earning a master's degree. The MSN to PhD students will enter directly into the doctoral coursework.

The PhD in Nursing consists of at least 61 credit hours of coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree or 46 credit hours beyond a master's degree plus dissertation credit hours. Full or part-time programs of study are available; however, full-time study is highly recommended to allow students to devote themselves entirely to the program and immerse themselves in the life of a scholar.

Admissions Criteria

Submit the following items to: Office of Graduate Admissions, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292

UofL Graduate Application and application fee (Online submission is preferred.Complete online at http://louisville.edu/graduate/apply)The online version of the Graduate Application lists codes for the Nursing PhD program. If you are submitting a hard copy application form, please use the following codes:NURSPHDMSN- for students who have completed Master's of Nursing degreesNURSPHDBSN- for students who have completed only the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degrees.

Transcripts

If BSN applicant: Official transcripts representing all college course work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Must verify completion of an accredited baccalaureate program in nursing. A bachelor's degree must be earned from a regionally accredited institution.

If MSN applicant: Official transcripts representing all college course work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale. Must verify completion of an accredited master's program in nursing.

If a BSN applicant, BSN program must have been accredited by CCNE or NLN.

If a MSN applicant, MSN program must have been accredited by CCNE or NLN.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores Successful candidates generally have a combined Verbal and Quantitative score of 1100 or higher, and an Analytical score of 4.0 or higher. Recommended scores on the revised GRE test format and scoring that took effect August 2011 are 156 verbal, 146 quantitative and 4 on the analytical writing score.

Submit three recommendations from individuals who can speak of academic and/or professional capabilities and potential. Recommendations should be chosen from among: former faculty members, current or immediate past employers, or other nursing/health professionals. This is done through the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies recommendation form (available online at: http://graduate.louisville.edu/apply) Recommendation forms must have been completed within the last year.

Submit the following items to: Office of Student Services, School of Nursing, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292

A written statement of career goals, area(s) of expertise, research interests, and reasons for pursuing doctoral studies. Maximum three pages; double spaced; 12 point font.

5. Personal interview with School of Nursing faculty will be required.

6. Registered Nurse License, evidence of licensure as a registered nurse is required. International students need to be licensed as registered nurses in their country of origin, if licensure is available. If direct patient care activities are provided, a Kentucky RN licensure prior to December in their first year of study is required.

7. Criminal Background Check required. Information is available on web-site and through the School of Nursing, Office of Student Services.

Application deadline for fall admission is January 15th. Completed applications received after January15th may be considered on a space available basis.

Please note:

Applicants accepted into the MSN-PhD program are strongly advised to have completed a three-credit masters-level statistics course (applied descriptive and inferential statistics) with a grade of B (3.0) or higher within five years before the date of enrollment. Applicants who wish to take a refresher course will be advised of available statistics courses to take in the summer prior to beginning fall PhD coursework in statistics.

In order to do a self-assessment of knowledge in statistics, the following represents anticipated basic competencies from previous statistics coursework:

Design of Research

Frequency distributions

Central tendency and variability

Probability theory

Normal distributions

Correlation

Simple linear regression

Statistical inference

Decision, error, and power

T-tests

One and two-way ANOVAs

Nonparametric tests

Assistantships

A PhD Graduate Student Assistantship is a financial award to a full-time PhD student for the period of one year. To be eligible for the award the student must be admitted to the PhD degree program or be a continuing PhD student. For the full year, the award includes tuition, health insurance, and a monthly stipend. The student is required to maintain full-time study during the award period and participate for 20 hours/week in a Research Assistant or Teaching Assistant role in the School of Nursing. These activities serve to augment and enrich the student's academic program. The student will be assigned by the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs to either research or teaching and will coordinate their experience. Descriptions of activities are available for each type of assistantship. Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis.

Academic Policies

Academic Progress in the Graduate Program

Satisfactory academic progress in a program also involves maintaining the academic and professional standards expected in a particular discipline or program and may include demonstration of the ability to function as a professional. Failure to maintain these standards or demonstrate such abilities may result in the termination of the student's admission to the program.

Removal from a Clinical Research Area

A student who is unsafe in clinical or a research setting is subject to academic action including dismissal from the program.

Transfer of Credit

Earned graduate credit may be transferred from accredited institutions that offer advanced degrees. The maximum number of semester hours transferable, upon request, is six. Credits which have been applied toward an earned degree may not be applied toward the doctoral nursing degree. Course work being considered for transfer must have been taken while the student was enrolled in an accredited graduate or professional school and must be evaluated for equivalency by the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. Credit earned more than six years prior to the student's application to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies will not normally be considered for transfer.

Drop/Add Procedures

Students wishing to alter their schedule of courses in any way must make the changes with the University's Office of Registration. Failure to officially withdraw from a course may result in a grade of F and tuition charges for that course.

Students may drop/add at any time during the Early Registration period after their first scheduled time for registration. See the online Schedule of Courses for current instructions for Drop/Add after classes begin.

Late Complete Withdrawal after the Deadline

Upon proper documentation of extreme circumstances, decision for approval of late complete withdrawals may be made by the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. Late complete withdrawals are those requested after the deadline has passed and before the instructor has assigned a grade.

Students may not withdraw from any course after the published deadline in the online Schedule of Courses without the approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research. This is granted only because of sickness or conditions beyond the student's control. The grade report would reflect a grade of 'W'.

Student Health Services Requirements

Each student must comply with the current student health policy of the Health Sciences Center. All costs associated with compliance are the responsibility of the student. Because of contractual agreements with agencies and the changing needs of society, this policy is updated periodically. It is the responsibility of the student to maintain his/her health in order to insure safety for other students and research subjects. If faculty or the agency deems that any student creates a health risk, the student may be excluded from the research or clinical area and/or the program.

Individual health care facilities, used as research or clinical sites by the School of Nursing, may have additional requirements. In this event, the student is required to comply with any additional requirements of that facility.

Note: Health policies are constantly under review by faculty based on CDC changing requirements and community expectations. Students will be notified of any policy changes, and compliance will be required.

Immunization Requirements

Immunization requirements have been established by the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Public Health & Information Sciences, in recognition of a responsibility to provide for your safety, both in the classroom and in clinical settings, and for the safety of patients/research subjects you will encounter in your training. These requirements also reflect the standards required by the various institutions in which you will be working during your education. Compliance is administered through the U of L Campus Health Services. More detail is available in the student handbooks or on the Campus Health Services website: http://louisville.edu/campushealth

Health Insurance

Students are responsible for submitting proof of health insurance. On April 26, 1999, the University of Louisville Board of Trustees approved a requirement for proof of insurance for all Health Sciences Center (HSC) students. Every HSC student will be assessed the University sponsored health insurance plan, the comprehensive plan. Students who already have health insurance that includes hospitalization coverage can waive the fee.

Health Services Fee

On April 26, 1999, the University of Louisville Board of Trustees approved a Health Services Fee. Every HSC student will be assessed the Campus Services Fee each semester.

Students who receive a grade of C+ or below in a required course must repeat the course. Students in the Graduate Nursing Program are allowed to repeat a required nursing curriculum course only one time. A student who receives a grade of C+ or below in a second course required in the nursing curriculum will be dismissed from the program. A Permit to Repeat Course form should be submitted to the Office of Student Services, School of Nursing, to ensure that only the last grade attempted will be included in the student's grade point average. Repeating a course is not an automatic privilege, and in most cases the student must petition to the Associate Dean and/or the Academic Affairs Committee for permission to repeat a nursing course. Once permission is granted, the student will be allowed to repeat the course on a space available basis.

Satisfactory Standing

Satisfactory standing in the nursing program is a cumulative program grade point average of at least 3.0.

Probation and Dismissal

If the cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation for the next regular semester. If the cumulative grade point average is not raised to a minimum of 3.0 by the end of the probation semester, the student will be dismissed from the program. The dismissal will be reflected on the student's transcript. If a student wishes to continue at the University, he/she must apply and be accepted to another unit in order to continue to enroll in classes.

Residency Requirement

In order that the student may be assured of an opportunity to utilize the educational facilities properly and to participate in the intellectual life and research atmosphere of the University, at least two years of study must be completed at the University of Louisville and at least one must be spent in full-time residency.

To be considered in full-time residency for one year, a student must be registered for 18, or more, credit hours in a 12 month period.